Feminist perspectives on international relations: Gender and the capitalist world-economy; a case study on India

The evolution of international relations as a discipline has until recently been oblivious to the experiences of most women. This entailed a need for the deconstruction of prevailing theoretical constructs in order to acquire an insight as to how the field is gendered. By considering the Indian experience, I seek to focus on how international processes impact on the position of women and men in society. Examined are effects capitalist penetration had on Indian society, both during the colonial and post-independence periods, specifically as regards the roles and positions of women. While capitalist penetration superimposed its structures on the prevailing social order, it accentuated the gender problematic and the social and power relations involved. It follows that until theoretical constructs of international relations include experiences of women such as these, the field will remain distorted inasmuch as it is being denied the tools of proper comprehension and analysis.